“Capture the Journey: A Photography Contest Honoring 200 Years of Railways”

Photographers in Dorset are invited to participate in a contest honoring 200 years of the railway.

Railway 200 is a year-long national initiative for 2025 to commemorate 200 years of the modern railway.

Commencing in January 2025, a diverse range of activities and events are being organized to recognize rail’s significant history, its current role, and its crucial contribution to a sustainable future.

To honor this occasion, the Blackmore Vale Line Community Partnership is encouraging photographers to submit images related to anything railway-specific.

Multiple categories are available, with winners given the opportunity to display their artwork at a local station.

The categories encompass an ‘open category’ for any railway or station-related subject.

A specific category for the Blackmore Vale line invites submissions of images from stations and heritage railways served by the Blackmore Vale Line Community Rail Partnership.

This includes Gillingham, Sherborne, Templecombe, Salisbury, Tisbury, Gartell Light Railway, Yeovil Junction, Yeovil Railway Centre, and Crewkerne.

There is also a wildcard category for something ‘you didn’t anticipate seeing at a station,’ alongside a separate competition in all categories for participants under 16.

Images can be in color or monochrome and may be captured with a camera or other digital devices such as a smartphone or tablet.

High-resolution images are preferred, ideally in JPEG or TIFF format, with a minimum of 300DPI, preferably 400–600DPI, and must have a file size of 5MB or greater.

Submitted photographs must be labeled with a title, location, and the photographer’s name on the file image. Submissions that do not adhere to these specifications will be excluded.

The competition will close at midnight on March 5.

Judging will occur shortly thereafter, culminating in an awards ceremony and artwork unveiling at the station.